Ten Ways to Practice Self Care in Spring

Spring is almost here! This is very exciting news as it means longer days and more importantly, warmer weather. Spring is traditionally a time of new beginnings and fresh starts.

Did you know?

In Australia we classify seasons in terms of calendar months which means that Winter finishes on 31 August and Spring begins on 1 September but according to astronomy, Spring will actually begin on 23 September 2018 with the Vernal (Spring) Equinox. Equinox is the time when day and night are around the same length.

SELF CARE IN SPRING

When was the last time that you did something just for you? Not to please someone else or because you felt obliged or because you were just ‘going with the flow’. Something that you did, simply because you wanted to? I’ll give you some time to think about it…

Often we spend so much time caring for others that we forget to take care of ourselves. This especially occurs once we play the role of mother/father or husband/wife, but even happens with a demanding job or social life.

As mentioned, Spring is a wonderful time for a new beginning… So why not start to cultivate better habits regarding taking care of yourself?

There are so many ways to develop self care so we asked around the Billabong to gather our team’s best self care tips for Spring. You could choose one; or try them all!

1) Get cultured!!

“Begin including cultured and fermented foods with your meals. Almost every society throughout the world evolved with cultured foods as a part of their diet. These cultured foods are essential for maintaining a healthy variety of beneficial gut bacteria that aid in digestion along with many, many other bodily functions. Try adding some yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, kefir, miso, raw apple cider, kvass, fermented vegetables, or other cultured foods to your meals. It’s important to note that if you plan on buying any of these from a store to be sure that they are labelled “raw” or “unpasteurised” to ensure they still contain all the beneficial bacteria within them.”

Simon, Chef

2) Soak it up

“End the day by slipping into a warm magnesium chloride bath. This small yet significant act of self care can help to soothe any sore, tired muscles and prepare the nervous system for a deep and restful sleep whilst supporting your immune response. To enhance this experience add a few drops of your favourite calming essential oil such as lavender, vanilla, vetiver or chamomile.”

Nerida, Retreat Host

3) Brush and scrape

“Brush your teeth and scrape your tongue with a copper tongue scraper first thing when you wake to remove bacteria that has accumulated during the night. This is a really great way to prevent cavities, gum disease and bad breath. This routine has been performed in Ayurveda for thousands of years!”

Annette, Chef

4) Connect with nature

“My go to self care tip is to get outside and be in nature. For me, this can be done in the tiniest of moments – by simply going outside and looking up to the sky, or actually going for a walk in nature with my doggies and consciously taking big breaths into my lungs and connecting to the ground beneath my feet. If possible I love to lie down on the grass and look up to the sky and just spend time in simply being, attaching thoughts to clouds and being just like the blue sky.”

Basia, Retreat Host

5) Disconnect from devices

“Don’t live on social media – experience what is right in front of you!”

Vanessa, Manager

6) Kickstart your digestion

“Start your day with a shot of special morning elixir. It is a fabulous way to start your metabolism, boost your immune system, aid digestion, repair cells, balance your pH, clean your urinary tract and promote healing. You only need a small amount and don’t expect it to tickle your taste buds…”

Tash, Chef

7) Say “no” more

“Learn to say ‘no’ more often, when you feel that you need to. Every time you say yes to something, you are saying no to something else. So make sure you aren’t saying no to yourself.”

Tillie, Reception Angel

8) Body brushing

“Engaging in daily dry body brushing can stimulate your lymphatic system and encourage new cell renewal, resulting in smoother and brighter skin.”

Shirin, Therapist

9) Take yourself out for coffee

“Going to cafes alone is one of my favourite ways to find peace and rest. It is normal to feel self conscious if you are not accustomed to dining alone but you will learn to love it, especially if you are a people watcher like me. Take a book, find a cute cafe with sofas or comfy chairs and enjoy some ‘me’ time.”

Kirsty, Retreat Host

10) Only speak kindly to yourself

“Only use kind, gentle words when speaking about how you feel about things. Try and avoid phrases such as ‘this is driving me mad’, ‘this is making me sick’, ‘I can’t stand this’ or ‘I’m useless’. Even though you might only say these things jokingly, your subconscious doesn’t have a sense of humour and absorbs these negative thinking patterns making it more likely that they will come true.”